The present invention relates to a combination football and in-line skating game using an enclosed substantially quarter pipe barrier, and more particularly, such a game where the barrier has a lip and changes height from the sideline to the end zone, and where the barrier and lip are part of the playing field.
In recent years in-line skating has gained substantially in popularity. In-line skating is fast and exciting. Skaters can reach high speeds. One natural extension of this sport has been to play street hockey on in-line skates, particularly because ice hockey is played on ice skates.
By contrast, a sport which has been popular for a long time is football. In fact, perennially the highest or one of the highest rated television shows is the Super Bowl, the championship game of the National Football League. People enjoy football for various reasons including the contact, the excitement of a kickoff return, the fundamental test of strength and power between the offensive and defensive lines, the agility of a running back evading tacklers, long pass plays, and the tactics of football offense and defense.
The traditional game of football has undergone very little change in this regard. One variation of traditional football is known as "arena football." Large nets or backboards are placed on opposite sides of the goalposts and the football is in play when it hits these backboards. However, the field on which the players play and the speed at which the game is played is relatively unaffected. A description of arena football is contained in U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,443 issued Mar. 27, 1990 to Foster.
Others have attempted to combine football with other sports but the basic excitement of football may be lost. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,157 issued Nov. 13, 1984 to McNeil shows how several sports including basketball, football, volleyball and soccer may be combined. This combined sport is a drastic change to football and the broad-ranging appeal of football is lost.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,433 issued May 4, 1993 to Moore discloses a game which modifies football to emphasize passing.
What is needed is a game which maintains the contact and excitement of traditional football yet enhances its speed and uses a uniquely structured barrier for the field which is part of the playing surface.